Fin type semiconductor devices are known. Such devices typically include: one or more fins (made of semiconductor material) embedded in a semiconductor layer (for example, amorphous silicon). One example of a fin type semiconductor device is a fin field effect transistor (or finFET) device. The layer including the fins and embedding material will herein be collectively referred to as a “fin layer.”
It is known to manufacture finFET devices by various processes that include one or more chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) step(s). It is recognized that CMP can cause “dishing,” which is a term for relatively-large-scale out-of-plane irregularities in the top surface of the fin layer. More specifically, CMP tends to cause the fin layer to be thicker (that is, has a greater height) in the “fin regions” than in the “non-fin regions” of the semiconductor device footprint. This irregularity can lead to performance issues with the semiconductor device.